EvaNexus
We build shared knowledge about where promising ideas stall between research and economic mobility, and what helps them move.
What we do
Good ideas in education and workforce often stall between research and the people they were meant to serve. EvaNexus convenes the people involved at each step, diagnoses where and why an idea loses momentum, and co-designs practical responses with them. We turn what cross-sector leaders tell us into shared knowledge the whole field can use: where ideas stall, why, and what might help.
Mission
EvaNexus brings together the people who build, fund, implement, and experience education and workforce systems to understand where and why promising ideas stall, and to shape the solutions and frameworks that help those systems work better together, and translate promising ideas into meaningful outcomes.
Vision
A world where the value of research and innovation is measured not only by what is developed, but by what reaches people, creating opportunities for them to thrive, build lasting economic mobility, and shape their own futures.
How we do it
01
Small, cross-sector roundtables bring together people who each hold part of the journey.
02
Participants share real examples, and we look for where and why ideas stall.
03
The group shapes practical solutions that can be tried in the field.
04
We publish findings, tools, and frameworks for the field. Participants then try the ideas and report back on what worked and what did not, so the knowledge keeps improving.
From the room
“The EvaNexus Initiative created a powerful space for leaders across sectors to dig into the root causes of the field’s most critical issues. By bringing together experiences and perspectives from multiple vantage points, it sparked a rich and genuinely illuminating discovery process.”
“EvaNexus created an inviting space to discuss big picture challenges the education and workforce fields are facing. The group had representation from many perspectives which broadened my thinking of both what the challenges are and what solutions were feasible.”
“I appreciated the diversity of perspectives in the room, which sparked thoughtful conversations beyond the initial prompts. The experience fostered a sense of hope and possibility, inspiring each of us to consider meaningful ways we can take action.”
Why this work matters
Billions of dollars go into education and workforce ideas, yet many never reach the learners and workers they serve. The idea itself is rarely the problem. A research study finds something that works, but schools never hear about it, or can’t use it as designed. A program launches, but the people it was built for never enroll.
Each step depends on the relationships, practices, and systems that connect one stage to the next, and no one is responsible for them. We call these the handoffs. EvaNexus works there.
See the work so far →What is coming next · 2027
Quarterly roundtables
Separate groups of stakeholders along the journey
Cross-cohort engagements each quarter
Community Building & Continued Learning: Bringing participants together to share which previously co-designed solutions they have tried, what changed, and what they are learning along the way.
Annual forum
Turning what we learn into a framework for the field
In 2027 we dig deeper into where ideas stall and test what could help.